It a sad story. Dey hadz NO IDEA whether anybody could survive G-forces in a rocket leaving earth or if dey couldz live in weightlessness. Some of the hoomans involved was bery depressed when they realized that the program had no way to bring Laika home from space.

Russian scientist Oleg Gazenko selected and trained Laika, who he had rescued from the streets and spoiled as if she were his own dog. It has been reported that Gazenko had fought successfully to have a window installed in Laika's space capsule so he could comfort her during prelaunch; and that after the launch he walked right past the dignitaries who had gathered to honor him, right out into the forest where he cried.

"Work with animals is a source of suffering to all of us. We treat them like babies who cannot speak. The more time passes, the more I’m sorry about it. We shouldn’t have done it. We did not learn enough from the mission to justify the death of the dog."
- Russian scientist Oleg Gazenko, 1998.